Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili

I'm in total denial that about winter.

Even though I've been happily knitting up a storm for my sweet cousins, friends, strangers on the street. Is Katie cute or what?

Winter is my arch-nemesis and it certainly shouldn't be this cold without snow. Without snow! Seriously, Kansas, give us something prettier to look at than our dry, brown front yards. We need one serious whiteout with snowmen that don't melt for weeks before spring comes. When our snow finally comes, you'll find me under a blanket fort huddling with the cats. And a bowl of this chili.

This is one of my favorite ways to warm up from the inside out. Ok, so its my second favorite. My obsession with marshmallows has not subsided.

Even though I much prefer to spend my time in the hot box of a Kansas summer, this chili is a close substitute in these chilly months. Crank up the jalapenos and you'll have your own personal summer. Go ahead, sweat it out at the dinner table.

Chili when you're chilly, its meant to be. Grab a bag of Fritos scoops while you're at it, just think about the spoons you won't have to wash.

Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili:

Makes about 8 servings

1 1/2 - 2 pounds bone-in chicken leg quarters, or whatever chicken you have on hand

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

1-2 jalapeno peppers, minced

1 - 1 1/2 cups dry white beans

6 cups water
1-2 Parmesan rinds, optional

salt and pepper to taste

shredded Pepper Jack or Mozzarella cheese to garnish

Layer ingredients in slow cooker in order. If the chicken quarters have the skin on, you can remove the skin before or after the chicken is cooked. Leave the skin on for flavor and skim the fat before serving. 

Cook on high for 6-8 hours, on low for 4-6 hours. 30 minutes before serving, remove the chicken and set aside to cool a bit before boning, leaving the lid off the slow cooker. The bones should slide right out of the meat. Using tongs or your hands, remove any extra fat and shred the meat. 

By this time, a lot of the fat should have risen to the top of the pot, skim the fat with a shallow spoon and discard. If you want to thicken the soup, whisk a 1/4 cup flour or cornstarch into 1 cup of hot broth until smooth and then stir into the soup. Add chicken and serve with a sprinkle of cheese.

Enjoy!

Roasted Broccoli-Cheese Soup

Kansas weather has been normal this March, which is to say unpredictable. This time of year I practically ignore the forecast and plan for everything with flip flops and ice-scrapers. Its easier to expect the weather to be crazy than it is to get your hopes up for one last snow or a jump straight into spring.

The weather can really affect my food mood and its always great to have a few staples in your arsenal when things outside make you run for the cat's favorite blanket for a furry heater snuggle. Or the porch to watch the lightening. Thundersnow, you know, normal Kansas Spring weather.

This is a new addition to our arsenal. After one bite, the hubby said it was a keeper.

For a better melt, get the cheese out when you begin cooking to allow it to come to room temperature. The red pepper flakes are optional, but give an extra layer of flavor when roasted with the broccoli and onion. I made the soup on Saturday and we had it for lunch on Sunday.

This is what the soup looked like on Sunday via iPhone. Whole garlic cloves toasted with the bread. Oh my.

Roasted Broccoli-Cheese Soup
Serves 2-3

1 1/2 - 2 large florets fresh broccoli
1 yellow onion
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
4-5 garlic cloves
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
2 ounces fat-free cream cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Heat your oven to 425 degrees. Rinse and chop the broccoli into bite-sized pieces and dice the onion. Toss the broccoli and onion with the olive oil and spread out on a large baking sheet. Sprinkle with red pepper and roast in the oven until the tips of the florets begin to brown.

Just before the veggies are done, begin to heat a stock pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add veggies directly to the hot pot. Cook for a few minutes, using the wooden spoon to break up the florets. Use a microplane to grate the garlic into the pot and cook until fragrant, about a minute. Add about 1/2 cup of the stock and scrape up any brown bits that have accumulated at the bottom of your pot.

Add the cream cheese, breaking it up with your wooden spoon. Add another 1/2 cup of the stock and the remaining cheeses, stirring to melt and combine. Pour in as much of the remaining stock as needed to reach your desired soup consistency. Taste and add salt and pepper as necessary. Serve immediately.